Easy Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
If you’re a fan of Paula Deen’s famous Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, this easy dessert recipe is for you! Two delightful layers combine to create a rich, decadent dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth. Whether you call it Cream Cheese Squares or Chess Cake, one thing’s for sure – it’s absolutely irresistible.
Legend has it that Gooey Butter Cake originated in St. Louis, Missouri, where it was accidentally created in the 1930s by a German baker. The baker was attempting to make a regular butter cake but mistakenly reversed the butter-to-flour proportions, resulting in a dense, gooey cake rather than the intended light, airy one. Despite the mix-up, the cake quickly gained popularity, becoming a beloved dessert in the St. Louis area.
This cake’s gooey texture and rich flavor have made it a regional classic, often passed down through families and adapted with various flavorings over the years. It is also known by many names, including St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, Chess Squares, or Texas Gold Bars, depending on the region, reflecting its wide appeal and various interpretations.
Paula Deen’s Connection
Paula Deen, the “Queen of Southern Cooking,” helped popularize Ooey Gooey Butter Cake nationwide by featuring her version of the dessert in her restaurants, cookbooks, and television shows. Her adaptation, often called Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, features a cake mix base and a rich cream cheese layer, making it even more decadent. Deen’s recipe adds a Southern twist to this traditional Midwestern dessert, helping it gain wider recognition across the U.S.
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurants, which serve a variety of Southern comfort foods, have also featured Ooey Gooey Butter Cake as a signature item, attracting many fans of the dessert who either enjoy it at her restaurants or recreate it at home. Her version is closely linked to the classic St. Louis recipe but adds an extra layer of indulgence with cream cheese and powdered sugar, giving it a cheesecake-like texture atop the dense cake base.
Thanks to Deen’s influence, this gooey cake has become a Southern dessert favorite despite its Midwestern roots. It’s now a staple for potlucks, family gatherings, and holiday celebrations.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: A store-bought yellow cake mix forms the bottom layer, while the top layer is made with powdered sugar and cream cheese.
- Easy to Make: With only a few steps, this easy recipe can be whipped up in no time using kitchen staples.
- Perfect for Cheesecake Lovers: The gooey cream cheese layer on top will remind you of your favorite cheesecake.
- Great for Any Occasion: This dessert is a crowd-pleaser at potlucks, family dinners, or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter, melted
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3½ cups powdered sugar (it’s also called confectioners’ sugar) = a 16-ounce box
How to Make Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Make the Base Layer: In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, one egg, and melted butter. Beat at medium speed until a dense cake base forms. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
- Prepare the Gooey Top Layer: In the same bowl, mix the remaining two eggs, softened cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown. The center should still be slightly gooey.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!
If you can’t get enough of rich, buttery Southern desserts, you’re in the right place. Try Pecan Pie for a classic holiday favorite, or my Pumpkin Crunch Cake when you’re craving something cozy and seasonal. For another melt-in-your-mouth treat, my Coconut Cake is pure bliss – sweet and full of Southern charm.
Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (Clone)
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 stick butter melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 16 ounces powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Place cake mix, 1 egg, and stick of butter into the bowl of mixer and beat for 1 minute until it becomes a soft dough.
- Spread mixture evenly over bottom baking dish.
- Combine remaining eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over cake batter and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Tips for Perfect Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling.
- Lining the Pan: Use parchment paper to line your baking dish, making it easier to lift out the whole cake after cooling.
- Texture Tip: The cake should be set around the edges but slightly gooey in the middle. Be careful not to overbake!
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Use aluminum foil or plastic wrap to cover it tightly and maintain its gooey texture.
- Refrigeration: For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving for the best taste.
- Freezing: You can also freeze this dessert! Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cake Mix Flavors: Switch up the flavor by using lemon, chocolate, or spice cake mix instead of yellow.
- Add-ins: Sprinkle white chocolate chips or crushed nuts on top of the cream cheese mixture, or drizzle with caramel for extra indulgence.
- Dairy-Free Option: Replace the cream cheese and butter with dairy-free alternatives to accommodate a dairy-sensitive crowd.
Last Bite
Did you bake this copycat Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Drop a comment below, snap a picture, and tag @southernkissedblog when you share it on social media. Don’t forget to pin this recipe so you can find it again next time your sweet tooth strikes!
Hey Lynda I really would like to have the recipe for your cream cheese squares you were comparing the ooey gooey butter cake to I’ve had the ooey gooey butter cake from the bakery section in Wal-Mart and it is addictive oh so good but the cream cheese squares sounds good too thanks for sharing!!
This recipe for Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is the same recipe for Cream Cheese Squares. I hope you enjoy it!
Can I reduce the amount of sugar? Too sweet.
I really don’t know. If you do reduce the amount of sugar, please come back and let me know how it turned out.
Does this Ooey gooey butter cake need to be refrigerated?
I am not sure. We have never had it last long enough to find out. Seriously, though, I would imagine that it should be okay unrefrigerated for a day or two at least.
According to food.com, “…Cake may be stored, covered in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It may be frozen for up to 6 months.”
I made this today and it came out perfect. It was Paula’s recipe and there was a stick of butter in the batter and in the topping. It is rich but oh so yummy! 🙂
Just looked it up… These are Chess Bars, or Chess Squares, or Chess Cake. There’s a lot of names for them. They’re definitely good and a lot of people really like them.
Paula Deen’s version calls for another stick of butter in the batter. Try it out. I’ve had both and Paula’s Gooey Butter Cake is next level. Then you can write another blog post about it. 🙂 I apologize for my earlier comment. I read back over it and it seemed a bit mean. I didn’t intend it that way. Tone is hard to convey in text.
I first encountered what Paula calls Gooey Butter Cake in a restaurant (they call them ooey gooey butter bars, which I like better because they’re more bar then cake when sliced) and then went looking for the recipe. I’ve been making the Paula Deen recipe ever since, which has been a pretty long time. I only make them if I’m taking the to an event or have company coming over because my husband can eat a whole tray of them and that just isn’t a good idea for anyone. lol But they’re a great special occasion dessert!
If you haven’t already, I also highly recommend Paula Deen’s “Not Yo Mamma’s Banana Pudding”. I think that’s a silly name, but the recipe is undeniably delicious. I’m a big banana pudding fan and couldn’t pick a favorite, but that one is unlike any other banana pudding I’ve ever had. And, because it’s Paula, I’m sure you know it’s decadent and another one of those “take to a potluck” or “make when guests a coming over” or “for the love of all that’s good don’t make this at home except on very special occasions”. lol
This is not the correct Paula Deen recipe. Sorry to be blunt. I just like to get to the point. There should be another melted stick of butter added to the filling. It makes them much better. Like a warm, gooey sugar cooking and a hug. Also, yours are slightly over cooked for my liking. They should be cooked until they have very little to no wobble in the center. If you cook them past that point they are no longer as ooey, gooey, and delicious, in my opinion.
@Wendi, YES!!! TY! I was reading through the comments to see if anyone else mentioned this before I said it. Plus, the ones pictured are way overbaked and no longer, ‘gooey’. They should be barely browned and still jiggly in the middle when you remove them from the oven so that when they cool there’s a good layer of gooeyness
I had some from her restaurant and I thought she used Graham cracker crust that was not packed. I don’t know the recipe for cream cheese squares but may have to find it and try it. I liked the one from her restaurant better with the crust versus using the cake mix.
@Gail, Paula’s released recipe calls for the same crust as this recipe. I’ve never dined in her restaurant and it’s entirely possible she makes them differently there. But, this is the correct crust from what Paula Deen released in her cook book and on The Food Network. It’s also on her website.
This recipe is incorrect in one way. There should be another stick of melted butter added to the filling, as per Paula’s original recipe. Perhaps that’s why the ones in her restaurant tasted better.
My final issue with this recipe is that the ones pictured are over cooked. They certainly look pretty, and perhaps the person who runs this blog did this intentionally so they look nice. However, in my opinion, cooking them that done takes away from the ooey gooey deliciousness of the recipe. I have been making these for years and I prefer to cook them until they have very little wobble in the center. Trying to time it until there is no wobble in the center will usually result in them being over cooked. They still taste great over cooked, but they’re not quite as good.
Made this tonight and it was great! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t like cream cheese, can I use something else? Or leave it out?
Unfortunately, no. That’s a very crucial component of the recipe. I recommend that you try it. You might be surprised at how it tastes once it is baked.
I love Paula Dean
Is it 2 cups of powdered sugar or 16oz by weight?
That’s a great question! Honestly, I don’t think it makes a difference in this recipe. When I make it, I just measure it out (I don’t weigh it).
@Kiersten, when baking, it’s always best to assume things are measured by weight if stated as such. It allows for a greater amount of control over ingredients. Baking recipes that measure ingredients by weight will have more consistent results (except breads and pastries can still be effected by humidity and other conditions and need may still need slight adjustments.) I use a small postal scale. I believe it cost less than $10 and it’s something I truly could not do without in my kitchen. This recipe is pretty forgiving, though.
I usually buy a 32oz bag of powdered sugar because I have a large family and a 16oz box just seems like a waste to me. I literally just eye it and put what seems like half in the recipe. As I said, because it’s a filling, it’s pretty forgiving.
If you’re interested in baking, I really do recommend purchasing a scale and using recipes that go by weight. Some recipes it isn’t required for (this recipe, dump cakes, better than sex cake, etc), but others (homemade red velvet cake, carrot cake, etc) in my opinion, a scale is an essential tool.
I have been making these Newman Marcus Brownies for almost 40 years! I have tried different flavors but always went back to my original using butter pecan cake mix and real butter. These are very rich so small squares are best. I have never shared my recipe before except for family and it took years for them to get it out of me. 😂! I use 1 stick of Butter,cake mix and 1 egg in bottom layer. 2 eggs, 8 ozs cream cheese and 16 ozs powered sugar in top layer, sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake @ 300 50-60 mins making sure not to overbake. Cool and enjoy!
@Rita O’Saile, that sounds delicious. I’ll give them a try. I may add a stick of butter to the filling, though. If I do, I’ll try to remember to report my results back to you. 🙂
It’s impossible to follow the directions. The last line says to “Allow to cool completely before cutting.” Nope. Won’t happen in this house! We also didn’t have time to take any photos. Getting ready to make it again. Still don’t think any of cooling or photos will happen.
Girl – you scared me with that first sentence and then had me rolling through the rest. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
@Carol M Turnbull, complete cooling isn’t necessary, as you’ve already discovered. lol I like them a little warm. They just need to cool until they’re not hot enough to burn anyone (that filling could leave a very bad burn) and until they won’t completely fall apart while cutting. As I only make them to take to pot lucks or when company is coming, they don’t usually get to the cooling down phase. 😀
Sorry to say.. but Paula Deen copied this recipe. In the South where Im from it is called the Neimann-Marcus cake, and the recipe has been around for decades. So darn Shameful that she claims it to be her original.
@Cindy, this recipe is also very similar to Chess Bars. Or Chess Cake. I don’t remember exactly what it’s called because it’s not as good as the recipe I discovered through a local restaurant (they did not claim them as an original recipe) and then went recipe searching and found that scoundrel, Paula Deen’s recipe. I’m not exactly a fan of hers since it came out that she has made very racist comments in the past. Hopefully she has learned and grown since that time.
I call them ooey gooey butter bars because that’s what the restaurant I first had them at called them. Also, they’re bars… not a cake. Anyway, the filling should have an extra stick of butter in it. Otherwise, I believe they’re Chess Bars. Maybe that was Paula’s addition to the recipe and why she claims it as hers? Anyway, the extra butter takes these bars over the top. I’ve been making them for years.
I’m also from the South, by the way, but didn’t encounter these until I was in my twenties. I’ve been making them ever since, which has been… awhile. I’m not questioning your assertion that these were around long before Paula, I definitely believe that. Just mentioning I hadn’t seen them. Maybe they’re a regional Southern thing. Another commenter mention Neiman-Marcus brownies, which seems like a different name for the same thing.
I’m from Savannah and when I was little (1960’s), I can remember these being made at our house. It was called Gooey cake. Everyone loved them as they still do. We had pecan pieces sprinkled on top–otherwise they were the same.
i have a friend that has a sandwich shop and she has ooey gooey bars with different flavors – lemon, chocolate chip, and several others. My question is: What do you do to the batter to make these flavored ooey gooey bars?
I would recommend using flavored cake mixes for the different flavors. For the chocolate chip, I would use vanilla cake mix and add about two cups of chocolate chips.
@louise w. dunn, pumpking ooey gooey bars use pumpkin cake mix and, I believe, the addition of pumpkin pie filling to the batter. Lemon ones use a lemon cake base and the addition of lemon juice and/or zest to the filling. I know if you search for the specific types you can find the recipes. I’ve made a few different flavors, but I like the original best. They’re simple, but so much more than the sum of their parts. To me, they taste like a richer, warm, gooey sugar cookie. Sugar cookies just happen to be one of my favorite cookies. What can I say, I like butter flavored things? 😀
CONFUSSED:
IN STEP 4 WHERE DOES THE BUTTER COME FROM? I USED THE STICK OF BUTTER IN STEP 2.
MADE IT ANYWAYS CAME OUT TASTY.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment and pointing that out.
After previously updating the post, I missed that error. You were correct in using the butter in Step 2. (It is not used in Step 4). I have corrected the recipe. I am so glad it worked out for you.
@Lynda, As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, you’re supposed to use another stick of butter in step four. Maybe you forgot to include it in the ingredients section and that’s where the confusion came from. Sorry, not trying to be a pest. Just trying to help spread the love of gooey butter.
Hi Wendi,
I love that you are adding your “two cents worth.” I love that you love gooey butter cake and appreciate your opinion.
Feel free to let me know what you think about other recipes on the site.
Take care!
Lynda